


The Prince and the Pauper

by old_and_new_friends



Series: Mako's Lovers [5]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Ba Sing Se, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M, Parent Death, Relationship Study, princess and the pauper style story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-17 04:34:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28594065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/old_and_new_friends/pseuds/old_and_new_friends
Summary: Mako still wasn’t sure about being in Ba Sing Se. While it was nice to no longer live on the streets, Mako missed the city he grew up in. One day Bolin convinces him and Tu to sneak up into the Upper Ring where Mako has a run in with some noble brat.Little did Mako know, that exchange, and a college scholarship, would change his life in the best way possible.
Relationships: Bolin & Mako (Avatar), Mako/Prince Wu (Avatar)
Series: Mako's Lovers [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2095230
Comments: 3
Kudos: 46





	The Prince and the Pauper

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings: Parent death discussed.

Mako kept to the shadows of the alleyways, which was harder than it was in the Lower Ring. Here the buildings were more spaced out making any alleyway wide, and few and far between.

He had lost Bolin and Tu, who had dragged him up here in the first place. Why the two of them wanted to see the Upper Ring so badly, Mako didn’t know, but he regretted humoring them.

If any of the three of them got caught, they would be in for a world of hurt. It didn’t even matter if they were doing anything, it would be assumed they were there to steal something.

Mako peered from out of the alleyway and saw his brother and cousin standing in broad daylight, as if their threadbare clothes weren’t a dead giveaway that they weren’t supposed to be in the Upper Ring.

Mako moved to go grab them so they could leave, when he slammed into someone.

“Watch where you’re going,” Mako said, before thinking about where he was. He swallowed harshly and looked down at the other teen on the ground, hoping they wouldn’t call the city guards.

He was tiny both in height and in weight. In fact, his clothes looked like they doubled his weight. Mako lifted him to his feet easily. The boy squeaked in surprise as Mako did so.

“Sorry,” Mako said. “I need to get to my brother and cousin and I didn’t see you there.”

“No problem, my friend,” the boy said, practically bouncing to his feet. “Who am I to complain when life sees fit for a man as fine as you to sweep me off my feet.”

Mako looked around in confusion. “Um, you fell over,” Mako said.

“Semantics,” the other said. “My name is Wu. Can I ask for yours?”

“I’d rather not,” Mako said, backing away. “Have a nice day.”

“Mako!” Bolin called there you are.

“Mako then,” Wu said, smiling brightly at him. “I’ll remember that, tough guy. See you around.”

“I doubt it,” Mako muttered as he ran over to Bolin and Tu.

“Who’s your new friend?” Tu asked.

“Not a friend, just a random rich brat,” Mako said. “I knocked him over, it’s not important. Let’s get out of here before someone realizes we don’t belong.”

Mako took a deep breath as he looked up at the huge building of Ba Sing Se University. He had never been more surprised when he had been one of their seven picks for their scholarships. Mako’s grandma had cried when they got the news, and the family nearly had the city guards called on them for partying so loud in celebration.

Now that he was here though, that same feeling from the last time he was in the Upper Ring, three years ago, returned. He didn’t belong here.

Mako’s gaze hardened and he hiked his bag higher on his shoulder. He was invited. He did belong here and he was going to prove it.

Sitting in his first class, Mako had never felt so small, as the ceiling of the room lifted high above him and he became one of hundreds in the room.

“Do my eyes deceive me or have I been blessed by the spirits to see such beauty twice?”

Mako vaguely recognized the voice but didn’t turn. He pitied whoever was on the end of that one-liner though.

“Hello, Mako, was it? I’m talking to you.”

Mako jolted and turned, surprised to find the person had been talking to him. The kid had gotten taller, but that was all that had changed about him. He still looked small and still wore a nearly blinding green suit. The only real change to his style was the way he fluffed up his bangs.

“Hi?” Mako asked.

“Is this seat taken, tough guy?” The other said.

Mako wanted to say yes, but it was very obviously not.

“No, you can sit there,” Mako said.

“Thanks,” he said, “I’m Wu, though I doubt you forgot.”

Mako faked a smile, and decided not to burst the other’s bubble.

Mako couldn’t pin point when their relationship had gone from Wu handing around Mako without asking, to actual friendship, but they had.

Mako supposed it had started the day he caught Wu crying in the back of the library.

Mako had wanted to turn around and walk off but Wu was crying on the book Mako needed.

“Ah, Wu?” Mako asked. “You okay?”

Wu sniffed loudly. “Oh, hey, Mako, yeah I’m just dandy,” Wu said, launching up from the floor. Had Mako not just watched him crying on the floor, and had his eyes not still been rimmed red, Mako might have believed that.

“Yeah, no you aren’t,” Mako said, squatting down to find his book. “What’s up?”

“Um, well, I’m now second in line for the throne,” Wu said with a fake smile.

Mako hit his head on the bookshelf and nocked two rows of books to the floor. He sprawled back onto his rear as he looked up at Wu. “What?” Mako asked, wide-eyed.

“My Aunt is the Earth Queen,” Wu said. “You didn’t know that? I thought everyone did!”

“No,” Mako said, hysterically. Had he known that he certainly wouldn’t have been such an ass to Wu over the past several months. His grandma would kill him if she ever found out.

“Huh,” Wu said. “So, this whole time you’ve been hanging out with me because you liked me and not because I’m royalty?”

Mako never said that, but seeing the odd hope in Wu’s eyes, Mako kept that to himself.

“Yeah, Wu,” Mako said. “I’m from the Lower Ring. The only reason I know what the Earth Queen even looks like is because my Grandma is obsessed with her. Now, stop stalling and tell me what’s wrong.”

Wu’s shoulders slumped. “I’m now next in line for the throne,” Wu said. “I wasn’t last night.”

“Oh,” Mako said softly. He looked around at the mess and grabbed the book he needed. “Let’s go before someone finds us here and makes us clean this. We can go get those smoothies you like.”

Wu’s smile was a barely there thing on his face but that was fine, as it was nearly blinding in his eyes.

He didn’t know if it was that smoothie date where they broke down their walls for the first time and talked through the loss of their parents together. He didn’t know if it was the late-night study sessions that lead all to often to Wu falling asleep on him. He didn’t know if it was the bright smiles, whole body laughs, slightly off-tune singing or the overdramatic monologues, but something had drawn Mako in and wouldn’t let go.

Mako didn’t know when he fell in love with Wu, but he knew it was a disaster when he did.

Which was why, as much as it hurt, Mako had decided he was moving to Republic City with his brother.

Bolin wanted to be a pro-bender, and while Ba Sing Se had a team, it was still held in Republic City. The pro-bending arena had just been rebuilt and with the chaos of the city dying down, all the teams were now looking for new members. It was the perfect opportunity for an eighteen-year-old with his head in the clouds.

Bolin had tried to talk Mako into joining but Mako wasn’t too interested. He just wanted to finish his degree, and Republic City University had offered him a full ride after one of the professors nearly begged to have Mako as an undergrad research student.

Mako hadn’t realized he had made such a name for himself.

“Are you sure you want to leave?” Wu asked, we he lounged on Mako’s bed. Mako was slowly packing up his dorm room.

“It’s a great opportunity for me,” Mako said.

“I know,” Wu replied, “but I’ll miss you.”

Mako licked his lips as he looked over at Wu. Leaving him behind was a lot harder than Mako thought.

“I’ll miss you, too,” Mako said, grunting slightly as Wu nearly tackled him into a hug.

“Write often, okay?” Wu said.

Mako made no such promise but he did hug Wu tighter and bury his face into his neck.

Mako hadn’t at first ignored Wu’s letters. He had in fact written back, but as his first year in Republic City went on, the letters between them slowly puttered out until there were none.

Mako tried not to be to upset about it. Distance from the Crown Prince of the Earth Kingdom was what he wanted and there were plenty of guys and girls in the city to distract him.

Still, some nights, the lack of Wu in his life left Mako feeling a bit adrift in the city. Sure, he had Bolin, and he had somehow found himself recruited into Avatar Korra’s team, so he had other friends in the city, but Wu was different.

In some ways, Mako almost regretted returning to the city he and his brother had been born in, and had contemplated returning home with his degree. The idea of Wu was both a drawing point and a reason to stay exactly where he was.

Which was why it threw him off so badly, when he walked in to his first class of his senior year and saw Wu sitting in the direct center of the classroom.

Wu had his head tilted back and his eyes closed.

Mako hesitated slightly before approaching. “Is this seat taken?” Mako asked.

Wu’s eyes popped open. “Mako!” Wu said, “I wasn’t planning on seeing you this quickly.”

Mako shrugged. “We have the same degree,” Mako said. “Why didn’t you tell me you were moving out this way? How did your Aunt even approve that?”

“Eh, she wanted me out from under her feet,” Wu said, “and well, I was worried if I told you, you would run again.”

“I didn’t run the first time,” Mako objected, before he could continue, they were interrupted.

“Gentlemen, if you would, I’d like to start teaching my class now,” the professor said.

Mako’s face heated as he noticed their classmates watching them with interest. Mako sat down quickly and nearly sank under the desk top.

When the class was over, Mako grabbed Wu’s hand and dragged the other into a more secluded area.

“Why’d you come all the way out here?” Mako asked.

“I missed you,” Wu said. “You stopped replying to letters and I wanted to see you.”

“Why not just visit?” Mako asked. “Why transfer all the way out here?”

“Because,” Wu shouted, “I didn’t want to just check in with you for a week, okay? Mako, you’re my best friend and I love you. More than I probably should.”

“Wu?” Mako asked.

“I needed to see you again,” Wu said, refusing to meet Mako’s eyes. “I needed to tell you, even if it meant you hated me. This was important.”

Mako paused for a moment, not able to process what Wu told him. As the other deflated and moved to walk off Mako panicked.

“I love you, too,” Mako blurted out, grabbing Wu’s arm to stop him leaving, “and you were right, I was running from you, because I was scared. Wu you’re the Prince of the Earth Kingdom, what do I even have to offer you?”

“Nothing,” Wu said. “You have to offer me nothing, because the only thing I want, is my big strong tough guy back.”

Mako stared across at Wu dumbfounded.

“But,” Mako said.

“No, buts,” Wu corrected, “unless you really don’t want to date me.”

“I,” Mako started before shaking himself. “Okay, no buts.”

Wu beamed up at him and it was the only warning he had before Wu pulled him into a kiss.

The wolf whistle piercing the air caused them to jump apart. Their entirely too nosy classmates were standing behind them.

“Do you have classes to attend?” Mako asked.

He was met with a chorus of no’s and one, loud and panicked, “oh, shit!”

“Want to bail and get a smoothie?” Wu asked. 

“Sure,” Mako said, turning to their classmates. “Just so we’re clear, you were not invited.”

A few gave him a thumbs up but they quickly dispersed.

Wu laughed before pulling Mako into another kiss. 

“Let’s go,” Wu said, pulling away. “I have months’ worth of drama to clue you in on. You won’t believe what happened two weeks ago.”

Mako smiled slightly, as Wu clasped their hands together and allowed Wu to drag him wherever he wanted.

**Author's Note:**

> This...did not go as planned but I love it anyway.


End file.
